Partha Chatterjee embarrassed, dishonoured TMC, says Saugata Roy

Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy on Friday said that sacked leader and former minister Partha Chatterjee "embarrassed and dishonoured" the party following his arrest in connection with an alleged teacher recruitment scam.

"I don't know if Partha is a victim of some conspiracy. He (sacked WB Minister Partha Chatterjee) has embarrassed us and dishonoured our party. We want a complete probe with an appropriate punishment for him and his associates... we took action against him, dropped his ministerial posts and took all party posts," Roy told ANI.

Notably, the TMC distanced itself from Partha after cash amounting to Rs 21 crore was recovered from the residence of his close associate Arpita Mukherjee.

The TMC MP said that the party had no idea that such a thing was taking place.

"What happened is a matter of shame. I hope that truth comes to the fore after the investigation. We had no idea that such a thing was taking place. When we came to know about it, we took action. Mamata Banerjee sacked him from the ministerial post," he said.

Responding to Suvendu Adhikari's allegation that the cash scam took place under the watch of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Roy said that the BJP leader "talks rubbish", clarifying that Mamata had no idea about the series of events.

"Suvendu Adhikari talks rubbish. Mamata Banerjee had no idea about the ongoing incidents. We condemn Suvendu Adhikari's attempts to defame the Chief Minister. The matter is under investigation by ED. If Suvendu Adhikari has any proof, he should rather reveal it to ED, not to the media," he said.

Meanwhile, former Minister Partha Chatterjee said that he is being framed in a conspiracy, a day after he was stripped of his portfolios and his positions in the TMC by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday, days after he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with an alleged teacher recruitment scam, in which the agency recovered cash worth Rs 50 crore.

"I've been framed, I'm a victim of conspiracy," Chatterjee said.

"Partha Chatterjee has been removed from TMC along with the post of General Secretary, National vice president and three other posts. He has been suspended till the investigation is underway," Abhishek Banerjee said.

Trinamool Congress, which had been distancing itself from its arrested leader Partha Chatterjee, axed him as a minister on Thursday and suspended him from the party leaving it to him to defend himself in the Enforcement Directorate probe in the teacher recruitment scam in which crores of rupees have been seized from residences linked to his aide Arpita Mukherjee.

( With inputs from ANI )

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